Iranian police have seized over one ton of hashish, killed two armed gang members and arrested 25 drug-traffickers after smashing a ring of criminals in southeastern Iran, a police official said Sunday.

Brigadier-General Abbas-Ali Rouhi told the official Iranian news agency, IRNA, that 11 motorcycles, nearly half a ton of opium, several handguns and rounds of ammunition were also seized from the traffickers over the past five days in Kerman and Sistan-Baluchistan provinces.

"Cheragh Narouei, a major gang leader who was killed, was involved in drug-dealing, kidnapping and harassing the residents of Golbaf region in Kerman," he added.

He said that three armed gang members and two armed robbers were also arrested.

Iran is a major transit route for drugs, mainly opium, hashish and heroin, from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Central Asia, Europe and the Arabian Gulf States.

Iranian authorities last year stepped up surveillance along the country's borders by ordering the setting up of outposts and an electronically monitored barbed wire fence along the 945-kilometer border with Afghanistan. A budget of 200 billion rials ($25 million) has been allocated for increased surveillance measures.

Official reports say 3,100 Iranian police officers have been killed in drug-related battles throughout Iran over the past 20 years – Albawaba.com